On November 23, 1996, Chandler Police Department became the seventh law enforcement agency in Arizona to be awarded accredited status by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). Agencies are reassessed every three years and CPD has achieved re-accreditation upon each subsequent assessment since it's first. The latest accreditation assessment for CPD occurred in 2005.

There are currently over 500 agencies accredited by CALEA in the United States and Canada. Accreditation is awarded to agencies upon demonstration of voluntary commitment to law enforcement excellence by living up to a body of standards deemed essential to the protection of the life, health, safety, and rights of the citizens it serves and exemplifying the best professional practices in the conduct of its responsibilities.

The goals of CALEA include:

• Strengthening crime prevention and control capabilities,
• Formalizing essential management procedures,
• Establishing fair and non-discriminatory personnel practices,
• Improving service delivery,
• Solidifying interagency cooperation and coordination, and
• Boosting citizen and staff confidence in the agency

Some of the many benefits which law enforcement accreditation brings to the citizens of Chandler include:

• Greater accountability of the agency through compliance with recognized professional standards of policy and procedures,
• Sound training for personnel,
• Clearly defined lines of authority,
• A stronger position in lawsuits and citizen complaints,
• Routine reports that support decision-making and resource allocation,
• Increased community advocacy. (Accreditation embodies the precepts of community-oriented policing.), and
• The provision of a forum for police and citizens to work together to prevent and control challenges confronting law enforcement and to provide a clear direction about community expectation.

Most of Chandler's neighboring law enforcement agencies are accredited thus providing a common ground for clear communication regarding cooperation, policies, and procedures. Accreditation represents the best in law enforcement in North America. Twenty percent of the full-time law enforcement officers in the United States are members of agencies officially within the CALEA accreditation process.

If you have any questions regarding accreditation, contact Sgt. Dave Levoy,at 480-782-4113.